Church Closure Opponents Looking for Vatican's Help

Church Closure Opponents Looking for Vatican's Help

Article excerpt

The last three parishioners taking part in an overnight sit-in
emerged Sunday morning from St. Anthony Church in Monongahela, but
that doesn't mean they have ended their protest of the Diocese of
Pittsburgh's plan to close the 100-year-old Roman Catholic church.

Their next step will be to take their fight to Rome.

"We've made the appeal, and Bishop [David] Zubik has not
responded," said Joe Ravasio, 52, who was among 30 parishioners who
spent the night in the church. "So the next step in the process is
to the Vatican in Rome, which we're prepared to do.

"The important message is that Catholic churches that are viable,
that are committed in their communities, should not be closed. The
closing of those churches has to stop."

The group plans to follow Catholic procedures to contest the
closing and is looking into hiring a canon lawyer who will argue its
case before the Vatican.

Saturday's afternoon Mass marked the end of St. Anthony Church on
Park Avenue. In 2011, the diocese merged St. Anthony and
Transfiguration into one parish, named for St. Damien of Molokai.

Bishop Zubik said he decided to close the St. Anthony building
because the newly merged parish did not have the funds to maintain
both buildings, and the councils of the new parish were unable to
reach a consensus on a recommendation for the buildings. He said he
chose Transfiguration, about five blocks away, because of its
central location and better condition.

St. Anthony parishioners, however, are resisting.

The sit-in ended not because the last three parishioners were
giving up. They left because they were hungry and thirsty.

"The diocese has made conditions deplorable," said Laura Magone,
53, who said officials had turned off the lights and refused to let
them open church windows or to leave and bring back food and water.

"We had 30 people that stayed [overnight]," said Mr. Ravasio, who
remained until 8:30 a.m. "But can you imagine priests not giving
their own flock, their own parishioners, not allowing them to have
bottled water, not allowing them to have a sandwich? If Jesus Christ
was there, would he have let people have water, let people have
food? …